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High and Low Paying Slots

24 October 2021

QUESTION: I have no idea of what the slot machines that I play are returning to the players. I play a whole variety of them from the huge jackpot machines to the quarter games that are more traditional. How come the casinos don’t let you know what you are facing when playing their machines. Can you break it down for me? What’s high? What’s low?

ANSWER: The big mystery has always been what do specific machines in a casino pay? I can tell you that machines are usually offered to the casinos with three program choices: high paying, medium paying and low paying. I guess you could say these are loose, medium and tight machines.

There used to be “banking machines” that could actually give the player an edge but you won’t find these any more. Thus, all machines have a house edge for the, well, house.

If you take an average machine, not a progressive, you might find that the range goes from 90 percent for tight machines, 92 for medium machines and 94-95 for loose machines. The casino slot manager will pick which ones he or she wants to put on the floor. Yes, you could have two “exact-same machines” right next to each other paying out different percentages.

The progressive machines are a different story. To generate that huge jackpot the average returns are far lower, somewhere in the mid-80 percentages (more or less).

I can make guesstimates that can probably help you.

• Avoid all progressive machines. House edges are too high. The losses over time will be far greater for almost all progressive players except the lucky few who get to hit the big jackpot. Remember for progressive machines you have to play full coin and that can be costly.

• Your losing expectation is far greater on a progressive than on a more traditional machine.

• Play only one machine at a time. Do not try to increase your fun by increasing your risk.

• Play only one line on machines that have multiple games that can be played simultaneously.

• The house edges on machines under 25-cents are usually much higher than the house edges on machines that come in larger denominations.

Now to my radical advice: Why bother playing full coin? The percentage difference in being able to hit the jackpot is not as great as you think. On a traditional machine you might play three coins to get the “jackpot” amount but you have increased your wagering three times as much. Playing one coin means your negative economic hit will not be as bad as playing full coin (or you can go to the casino three times as much).

QUESTION: Are there ways to know what the percentage payback is at video poker?

ANSWER: Yes. Get a book by a legitimate author who specializes in video poker and he or she will have the exact percentages of the games and the proper strategies for playing them. We also have many articles on video poker on this web site that can help you too. Feel free to write our authors such as “Stickman” about your video poker questions.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete’s web site is www.frankscoblete.com. His books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries and at bookstores.
Frank Scoblete

Frank Scoblete is the #1 best selling gaming author in America. His newest books are Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines; Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Pai Gow Poker!; Beat Blackjack Now: The Easiest Way to Get the Edge; Casino Craps: Shoot to Win!; Cutting Edge Craps: Advanced Strategies for Serious Players; Casino Conquest: Beat the Casinos at Their Own Games! and The Virgin Kiss.

Frank and Casino City Times columnist Jerry "Stickman" teach private lessons in dice control. Frank's books are available at Amazon.com, in bookstores or by mail order. Call 1-800-944-0406 or write to Frank Scoblete Enterprises, PO Box 446, Malverne, NY 11565. Frank can also be reached by email at fscobe@optonline.net.

Frank Scoblete Websites:

www.goldentouchcraps.com
www.goldentouchblackjack.com

Books by Frank Scoblete:

> More Books By Frank Scoblete

Frank Scoblete
Frank Scoblete is the #1 best selling gaming author in America. His newest books are Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines; Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Pai Gow Poker!; Beat Blackjack Now: The Easiest Way to Get the Edge; Casino Craps: Shoot to Win!; Cutting Edge Craps: Advanced Strategies for Serious Players; Casino Conquest: Beat the Casinos at Their Own Games! and The Virgin Kiss.

Frank and Casino City Times columnist Jerry "Stickman" teach private lessons in dice control. Frank's books are available at Amazon.com, in bookstores or by mail order. Call 1-800-944-0406 or write to Frank Scoblete Enterprises, PO Box 446, Malverne, NY 11565. Frank can also be reached by email at fscobe@optonline.net.

Frank Scoblete Websites:

www.goldentouchcraps.com
www.goldentouchblackjack.com

Books by Frank Scoblete:

> More Books By Frank Scoblete